J

memorize repeat succeed

Word Definition Example Sentence

Abate v. to become less active, less intense, As I began my speech, my feelings of
or less in amount nervousness quickly abated.
Abstract adj. existing purely in the mind; not Julie had trouble understanding the
representing actual reality appeal of the abstract painting.
Abysmal adj. extremely bad I got an abysmal grade on my research
paper!
Accordingly adv. in accordance with All students must behave accordingly.
Acquisition n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for kids
possession of something than it is for adults.
Adapt v. to make suit a new purpose The US has adapted many foreign
foods to better suit the tastes of
Americans.
v. to accommodate oneself to a new Dogs are known for their ability to
condition, setting, or situation quickly adapt to their environments.
Adept adj. having knowledge or skill (usu. Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s
in a particular area) especially adept at the violin.
Adequate adj. having sufficient qualifications Though his resume was adequate, the
to meet a specific task or purpose company doubted whether he’d be a
good fit.
Advent n. the arrival or creation of something The world has never been the same
(usu. historic) since the advent of the light bulb.
Adversarial adj. relating to hostile opposition An adversarial attitude will make you
many enemies in life.
Advocate n. someone who promotes or defends I am an advocate for free higher
something education.
v. to defend or promote something Environmental protesters
(usu. a belief, theory, opinion, etc.) often advocate for cleaner energy
practices.
Aesthetic adj. relating to beauty or refined taste The aesthetic decorations at the
wedding reception made you feel as if
you were a character in a fairy tale.

1
memorize repeat succeed

Word Definition Example Sentence

Abate v. to become less active, less intense, As I began my speech, my feelings of
or less in amount nervousness quickly abated.
Abstract adj. existing purely in the mind; not Julie had trouble understanding the
representing actual reality appeal of the abstract painting.
Abysmal adj. extremely bad I got an abysmal grade on my research
paper!
Accordingly adv. in accordance with All students must behave accordingly.
Acquisition n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for kids
possession of something than it is for adults.
Adapt v. to make suit a new purpose The US has adapted many foreign
foods to better suit the tastes of
Americans.
v. to accommodate oneself to a new Dogs are known for their ability to
condition, setting, or situation quickly adapt to their environments.
Adept adj. having knowledge or skill (usu. Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s
in a particular area) especially adept at the violin.
Adequate adj. having sufficient qualifications Though his resume was adequate, the

&
to meet a specific task or purpose company doubted whether he’d be a
good fit.
Advent n. the arrival or creation of something The world has never been the same
(usu. historic) since the advent of the light bulb.
Adversarial adj. relating to hostile opposition An adversarial attitude will make you
many enemies in life.
Advocate n. someone who promotes or defends I am an advocate for free higher
something education.
v. to defend or promote something Environmental protesters
(usu. a belief, theory, opinion, etc.) often advocate for cleaner energy
practices.
Aesthetic adj. relating to beauty or refined taste The aesthetic decorations at the
wedding reception made you feel as if
you were a character in a fairy tale.

1
memorize repeat succeed

&
Word Definition Example Sentence
Abate v. to become less active, less intense, As I began my speech, my feelings of
or less in amount nervousness quickly abated.
Abstract adj. existing purely in the mind; not Julie had trouble understanding the
representing actual reality appeal of the abstract painting.

r
Abysmal adj. extremely bad I got an abysmal grade on my research
paper!
Accordingly adv. in accordance with All students must behave accordingly.
Acquisition n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for kids
possession of something than it is for adults.
Adapt v. to make suit a new purpose The US has adapted many foreign
foods to better suit the tastes of
Americans.
v. to accommodate oneself to a new Dogs are known for their ability to
condition, setting, or situation quickly adapt to their environments.
Adept adj. having knowledge or skill (usu. Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s
in a particular area) especially adept at the violin.
Adequate adj. having sufficient qualifications Though his resume was adequate, the
to meet a specific task or purpose company doubted whether he’d be a
good fit.
Advent n. the arrival or creation of something The world has never been the same
(usu. historic) since the advent of the light bulb.
Adversarial adj. relating to hostile opposition An adversarial attitude will make you
many enemies in life.
Advocate n. someone who promotes or defends I am an advocate for free higher
something education.
v. to defend or promote something Environmental protesters
(usu. a belief, theory, opinion, etc.) often advocate for cleaner energy
practices.
Aesthetic adj. relating to beauty or refined taste The aesthetic decorations at the
wedding reception made you feel as if
you were a character in a fairy tale.

1
memorize repeat succeed

Afford v. to be able to buy He’s saving money so he can afford to

buy a new car.
v. to be able to spare I can’t afford to lose any more pencils!
Agitate v. to promote something (usu. a They’re agitating for better health care.
cause)
Allow v. to permit or consent to US law allows citizens to speak freely.
Allude v. to make a secretive mention of She alluded to the problem at hand but
something didn’t say anything more about it.
Altercation n. a noisy argument or confrontation Greg got into an altercation with a
stranger at the bar.
Ambiguous adj. unclear or vague in meaning Her ambiguous statement made me
question whether she could be trusted.
Ambitious adj. having a powerful desire for Penny is so ambitious, she wants to be
success or achievement president someday.
Ambivalence n. the state of being uncertain or His ambivalence prevented him from
stuck between two or more options immediately signing the contract.
Analogous adj. similar but not identical Green onions are
considered analogous to spring onions.
Annihilate v. to destroy or cause devastating The dictator sent orders
destruction to annihilate the group of rebels.
Anomaly n. something different from the norm This result is an anomaly and very
rarely happens.
Anticipate v. assume to be likely to happen The party was just as fun as I
had anticipated it would be.
Antipathy n. a strong feeling of dislike Her antipathy toward the professor was
obvious: she rolled her eyes whenever
he entered the classroom.
Apex n. the highest point of something The spring play was the apex of our
school year.
Apprehension n. fearful expectation of something Her apprehension to leave her house
resulted in her missing the train.
Articulate v. to clearly express in words She articulated her opinion on the
price of the house.

2
memorize repeat succeed

Artificial adj. something made; not occurring Many candies use artificial flavors to
naturally make them taste fruity.
Assertion n. a strong declaration His assertion that sharks are mammals
made everyone laugh.
Austere adj. extremely plain He lived in a small, austere cabin in the
middle of the woods.
adj. stern and forbidding My boss had an austere expression on
her face.
adj. relating to self-denial An austere lifestyle, like that of monks,
isn’t for everybody.
Authenticity n. the quality of being real and true The police officer doubted
instead of fake and contrived the authenticity of the suspect’s story.
Avenue n. an intangible path or approach to The company has decided to pursue
something other avenues.
Avid adj. actively interested in or Gerald is an avid soccer fan.
enthusiastic about something
Basic adj. relating to the foundation or You have to start with basic Russian
basis of something before you can move on to the advanced
level.
Bear v. to have as a characteristic She bears a strong resemblance to your
mother.
v. to have (a child) Judy will bear her first child later this
year.
v. to bring forth My garden is going to bear pumpkins
this year.
v. to put up with I can’t bear her complaining any
longer!
Benevolent adj. kind, generous Many cultures believe
in benevolent spirits.
Bias n. a preconception that prevents It’s important to avoid bias when
objectivity investigating a crime.
Bittersweet adj. tinged with a feeling of sadness The ending of the romance movie
was bittersweet.

3
memorize repeat succeed

Bolster v. to support, strengthen, or fortify If we work together, we should be able

to lift and then bolster the couch.
Boost n. an increase or growth The boost in profits was a welcome
change.
v. to increase or make grow In order to boost profits, you need to
cater to your customers.
Brawl n. an intense, loud fight A brawl broke out at school today after
one student accused another of
cheating.
v. to fight loudly and disruptively The two students brawled for an hour.
Brevity n. the quality of being brief or terse The brevity of their time together made
it all the more romantic.
Candid adj. direct, blunt Josh is candid about his desire to
become an actor.
Candor n. the trait of being honest and frank I admire her candor, especially when
nobody else bothers to speak up.
Capitalize v. to use to your advantage I’d like to capitalize on your math skills
by having your work the cash register.
Capture v. to trap or take possession of The spy was captured by the enemy.
v. to successfully represent or imitate Your painting beautifully captures the
ephemerality of life.
v. to captivate, mesmerize I was captured by her beauty.
v. to catch or seize The cops captured the criminal three
days after the incident.
Civic adj. relating to the city or citizens Voting is a civic duty.
Clinical adj. emotionally unattached (usu. Her clinical approach to situations
used in medical or scientific setting) allows her to handle them more
effectively.
Clout n. special advantage or power Children of rich and famous people
often believe they have a lot of clout.
Coarse adj. indicating a rough texture The horse’s mane was coarse, as if it
had never been washed.

4
memorize repeat succeed

adj. lacking refinement or The queen’s coarse way of speaking

sophistication surprised the other members of royalty.
Coincide v. to happen at the same time It wasn’t until after I booked my ticket
that I realized the
concert coincided with my finals.
Commission n. the use of payment to request This painting was commissioned by a
something (e.g., a service or product) rich merchant in 1589.

Comparable adj. able to be compared This novel

is comparable to Huckleberry Finn.
Competent adj. sufficiently qualified We need to hire a competent web
developer to create a good website for
our company.
Complacent adj. satisfied, with no desire to Though he had never won any awards
change or improve or even been published, he
was complacent with his life as a poet.
Complement v. to make perfect or complete This wine perfectly complements this
platter of gourmet cheese.
Concede v. to be forced to agree or surrender With no chance of winning the battle,
the army at last conceded.
v. to admit to a transgression Dan conceded to pranking his sister.
Conceive v. to imagine or come up with The plan to build the city was
originally conceived in the early 1900s.
Condone v. to overlook, approve, or allow She couldn't condone her daughter's
rebellious behavior.
Conducive adj. able to bring about or be suitable The noisy students hardly made the
for campus library conducive to studying.
Conduct v. to control or manage The group conducted their research
abroad last year.
v. to behave a certain way Be sure to conduct yourself
accordingly.
Confide v. to share something secretive with She confided all of her biggest secrets
someone in her best friend.

5
memorize repeat succeed

Confine v. to put limits on; to restrict We are going to confine the use of this
drinking fountain.
Consensus n. overall agreement After weeks of debating, the panel
finally came to a consensus.
Constitute v. to form or compose (part of) The desire for equality constituted the
something civil rights movement.
Contemplate v. to think deeply about She contemplated telling her teacher
about the cheating student.
Contend v. to maintain or assert (an opinion) The president contends that the US
government will not negotiate with
terrorists.
Contradict v. to be in contrast with The camera footage contradicts his
alibi.
Controversial adj. highly debatable and causing Millions of viewers watched
contention the controversial debate take place.
Conventional adj. abiding by accepted standards She lives a conventional life in the
suburbs.
Convey v. to pass on or transfer (information) I have trouble conveying my thoughts
in French.
Conviction n. a firm belief in something Her religious convictions prevent her
from eating meat.
Corroborate v. to provide evidence for; to back up The note signed by her
(a claim) father corroborates her claim that she
was absent from class that day.
Counteract v. to work in opposition to This ingredient seems to counteract the
other ones.
Counterargument n. an argument used to criticize or Make sure to include
dismantle another argument a counterargument in your essay so
that you can show you’ve considered
the topic from all perspectives.
Counterproductive adj. hindering the achievement of a Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was
goal ultimately counterproductive: it took

6
memorize repeat succeed

us twice as long to get to the train

station.

Culmination n. the final act or climax The culmination of the performance

was unforgettable.
Cultivate v. to foster the growth of Teachers don’t just pass on new
information to students—
they cultivate their academic potential.
Decree v. to declare formally and with The president decreed that Halloween
authority would henceforth be a national holiday.
Deference n. respect; regard Her deference to the elderly makes her
the perfect candidate for an internship at
the retirement center.
Deficient adj. not enough in degree or amount I feel as though the sources for my
paper are deficient.
Demonstrate v. to do as an example Could you demonstrate the dance
move for me?
v. gives evidence for This book’s use of words such as
“grim” and “bleak” demonstrates the
author’s mournful tone.
Demur v. to object to She demurred at my request to transfer
to a different department.
Deplete v. to (over)use over time (usu. The lost campers quickly depleted their
resources) supply of food.
Desolate adj. bare, barren, empty The moon is one
giant, desolate landscape.
Devise v. to come up with (a plan) Lana devised a plan to make herself
famous.
Dilemma n. a problem, usually requiring a The main dilemma is whether to pay
choice between two options for a commercial or not.
Diligence n. conscientiousness; the quality of Diligence and confidence will get you
being committed to a task far in life.
Diminish v. to become smaller in scope or The itchiness of mosquito bites usually
degree starts to diminish after a few days.

7
memorize repeat succeed

Dire adj. hopeless and dangerous or When the police didn’t explain what
fearful was happening right away, Jane knew
that the situation must be dire.
Discord n. disagreement Disputes over money caused
intense discord in the family.
Disdain n. a lack of respect and strong dislike He looked at me with such disdain that
(toward something or someone) I immediately knew the job wouldn’t
work out.
Dismay n. hopelessness, stress, or To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on the
consternation test.
v. to fill with woe or apprehension Many were dismayed by the town’s
implementation of metered parking.
Disparage v. to belittle or speak down to A good boss is stern but
never disparages his or her employees.
Dispatch v. to send off a message or messenger The mother dispatched her daughter to
their neighbor’s house.
Diversification n. the act of becoming diverse Lately, there’s been
noticeable diversification of students at
higher institutions.
Doctrine n. a principle, theory, or position, Devoutly religious people often live
usu. advocated by a religion or gov’t their lives according to their doctrines.
Dominion n. power and authority (usu. over a The country claimed to
territory) have dominion over parts of Russia.
n. a legal territory Puerto Rico is a dominion of the US.
Dreary adj. sad, gloomy, dull The gray clouds in the sky made the day
feel dreary.
Dubious adj. doubtful, questionable The man’s claims to the throne
were dubious since nobody knew
where he’d come from.
Eccentric adj. peculiar or odd; deviating from She’s a little eccentric but still fun to be
the norm around.

8
memorize repeat succeed

Egregious adj. extremely bad After cheating on the exam, Emily

began to feel as though she’d made
an egregious mistake.
Eloquent adj. having refined or expressive His speech was not only eloquent but
communication skills (in speaking or also extremely compelling.
writing)
Eminent adj. superior or distinguished; high in Our town made news when
position or status the eminent magician came to perform
at our local theater.
Emit v. to discharge, give forth, or release Plants consume carbon dioxide
and emit oxygen.
Emphatic adj. very expressive; using emphasis Her emphatic smile told me she was
excited to ride the roller coaster.
Empirical adj. derived from experience, You need empirical evidence to
observation, or an experiment support your claim.
Endow v. to equip or bestow (usu. a quality According to the myth, the
or ability) gods endowed him with the gift of
healing.
Endure v. to withstand, sustain, or hold out I can’t endure this wait any longer.
against Will Stanford accept or reject me?
Entail v. to involve or include A doctoral program entails long nights
and a heavy workload.
Entrenched adj. firmly established Her face will forever be entrenched in
my memory.
Enumerate v. to specify or count I can’t enumerate how many times I’ve
had to remind my students when their
papers are due.
Envy n. excessive jealousy His envy of her is quite obvious.
v. to admire and be jealous of She envies her coworker's social skills.
Erratic adj. having no fixed course; deviating The car became erratic after slipping
from the norm on ice.

9
memorize repeat succeed

Establish v. to enact They established a law that made it

illegal to drive after drinking any
amount of alcohol.
v. to found (a business, group, school, Our group established a new branch in
etc.) Chicago.
Evoke v. to draw forth or call up Horror movies are great at evoking fear.
Exacerbate v. to make worse or increase the The doctor told me not to run as it
severity of can exacerbate my knee injury.
Excel v. to do something extremely well or She was a well-rounded student
to be superior in but excelled especially in science.
Exert v. to put into use (usu. as effort) Don’t exert all of your energy at once.
Exhilarating adj. invigorating, stimulating, or The music playing at the club was
exciting catchy and exhilarating.
Expend v. to use up (as in energy or money) Be careful not to expend all your
energy in the first half of a marathon.
Exploit v. to use selfishly or for profit The shoddy company exploited its
workers by paying them extremely low
wages.
Facilitate v. to aid the progress of In grad school,
advisors facilitate students’ research
and offer constructive criticism.
Feasibility n. the practicality or possibility of The feasibility of her project was
something doubtful; she’d have to go all the way to
Antarctica and back before the school
year ended.
Ferocity n. viciousness, violence The lion is just one wild animal known
for its ferocity.
Fiscal adj. related to (government) money Fiscal policy is how the government
uses money to influence the economy.
Flourish v. to prosper, grow, or make fast After one year, the tiny plants
progress had flourished into a breathtaking
garden.

10
memorize repeat succeed

Fluctuate v. to be unstable; to rise and fall Stocks can fluctuate on a daily basis,
making it difficult to determine when to
buy or sell one.
Foment v. to stir up The civilians accused their leader
of fomenting political unrest.
Foreseeable adj. capable of being predicted or I can't imagine aliens visiting us in
anticipated the foreseeable future.
Frankly adv. directly, clearly I frankly don’t see the point in learning
to drive.
Freewheeling adj. carefree His freewheeling attitude often got him
in trouble at work.
Fundamental adj. the most essential or most basic A thesis is arguably the
part most fundamental part of an essay.
Galvanizing adj. thrilling, exciting, stimulating The galvanizing performance left
everyone spellbound.
Geriatric adj. relating to old age I became interested
in geriatric medicine shortly after my
grandfather passed away from cancer.
Hostile adj. harmful, dangerous The voices around the corner sounded
angry, hostile even.
Hypothetical adj. supposed; related to a hypothesis For my physics homework, I must come
up with a hypothetical situation.
Ignominious adj. publicly shameful or humiliating The politician's expensive campaign
ultimately ended in ignominious defeat.
Impart v. to transmit, bestow, or disclose Parents must impart common sense to
their children.
Impartiality n. the equal and objective treatment To ensure impartiality, we require
of opposing views everyone to follow these general
guidelines.
Imposing adj. impressive (esp. in size or The old mansion was imposing in its
appearance) huge size and gothic architecture.

11
memorize repeat succeed

Imposition n. an unnecessary burden If it’s not too much of

an imposition, could you proofread my
paper?
Imprudent adj. not cautious or prudent; rash Backpacking abroad can be fun, but
don’t be imprudent about money.
Incite v. to encourage or stir up Her hateful words incited anger in the
crowd.
Indifference n. apathy, emotional detachment The girl’s indifference toward her
brother upset their parents.
Indiscriminately adv. randomly; with little or no Lottery winners are
distinction chosen indiscriminately.
Indulge v. to give into; to satisfy or gratify My friend loves to indulge in cheesy
romance movies.
Infer v. to guess, conclude, or derive by You can infer from this quotation that
reasoning the writer didn’t care for “pretty”
language.
Innovative adj. novel or new (esp. as an idea or Her invention was
invention) incredibly innovative and won her
multiple awards.
Insatiable adj. can’t be satisfied A vampire’s thirst for blood is said to
be insatiable.
Inversion n. a reversal The culture’s norms were
an inversion of our own.
Invoke v. to call on; to appeal to (e.g., a The shaman attempted to invoke a
higher power) demon.
Irreconcilable adj. incapable of being in harmony or The couple’s differences were
agreed upon ultimately irreconcilable, giving them
no choice but to break up.
Lament v. to feel sorrow for; to mourn Susan lamented her missed chance at
going to Europe with her high school
class.
Locomotion n. movement Physics involves the study
of locomotion.

12
memorize repeat succeed

Lucrative adj. capable of making a lot of Writing books isn’t a

money; profitable particularly lucrative career, unless
you’re J.K. Rowling.
Malicious adj. harmful, spiteful The malicious spirit drove out the
inhabitants from their home.
Malleable adj. capable of being molded or Children’s minds are malleable but
changed only for so long.
Materialistic adj. superficial; focus on material Many people accuse Americans of
possessions being materialistic.
Melodramatic adj. extravagant or exaggerated (as of The melodramatic play was well liked
a melodrama) by the audience.
Modest adj. simple and humble They moved into a modest house in the
countryside.
adj. small in size or amount I received a modest sum of money for
my help at the company event.
Modify v. to change, alter, or tweak Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so that it
wouldn’t carry the disease.
Momentous adj. historically significant Her win in the election
was momentous.
Novel adj. new, innovative We are looking for novel ways to
approach the project.
Nuance n. a subtle difference in meaning Body-language experts even understand
the nuances of facial expressions.
Null adj. legally void and ineffective The government declared their
marriage null.
Objectivity n. judgment based on observations In scientific research, objectivity is of
instead of emotions or opinions utmost importance.
Obsolete adj. no longer used; rare or Historians assumed record players
uncommon would be obsolete by now, but in fact
they’re making a huge comeback.
Omnipotent adj. almighty and all powerful Gods are omnipotent beings who can
control human destiny.

13
memorize repeat succeed

Onset n. the beginning or early stages At the onset of her career as a lawyer,
things were looking up.
Opine v. to openly express an opinion The new employee opined at the
company meeting.
Ornate adj. highly detailed and decorated That ornate silverware must be worth
thousands of dollars!
Oust v. to remove or force out of (usu. a Sick and tired of putting up with his bad
position or office) moods, the pirates ousted their captain.
Paramount adj. predominant, superior, most Our paramount concern is the safety of
important our employees.
Peculiar adj. strange, bizarre Upon entering the abandoned house,
Kate experienced a peculiar feeling, as
if someone was watching her.
Perish v. to die; to pass away According to the news,
nobody perished in the fire.
Persecute v. to cause suffering to They will persecute anyone who
doesn’t agree with their views of the
world.
Petulant adj. cranky, pouty, irritable Petulant children are especially
difficult to care for.
Pinnacle n. highest level or degree Many believe that composers such as
Beethoven and Mozart represent
the pinnacle of classical music.
Pitiable adj. deserving pity The frail-looking dog was pitiable, so I
gave it some food and took it inside to
care for it.
Plausible adj. reasonable and possibly true Her story is plausible, but that doesn’t
mean she’s telling the truth.
Postulate v. to assert The literary critic postulates that
romanticism and naturalism are actually
interconnected.
Potent adj. having great influence The bald eagle is a potent symbol of
the US.

14
memorize repeat succeed

adj. having a strong, chemical effect The potion was definitely potent—it
healed my wounds immediately!
Pragmatic adj. practical, useful It’s not necessarily more pragmatic to
study engineering than it is to study
philosophy.
Precedent n. an example or subject from earlier This change in law is without
in time historical precedent.
Predecessor n. someone who comes before you My predecessor gave me many tips for
(usu. in position or office) running the office.
Prescribe v. to command orders The directions for our essay prescribe a
length of at least ten pages.
v. to issue authorization for A doctor must prescribe you this
medications medication before you can begin taking
it.
Principle n. basic truth, assumption, or rule Remember the
universal principle: treat others as you
want them to treat you.
Prohibit v. to command against, to outlaw Alcohol was prohibited in the US in
the 1920s.
Prompt adj. punctual, on time She is always prompt when it comes to
turning in her homework.
n. a cue to begin something; I had to write an essay based on
instructions a prompt.
v. to incite, propel, or cause to act The possibility of a
scholarship prompted him to apply to
Harvard.
Promulgate v. to put into law or formally declare The ruler will at last promulgate an
amnesty with the neighboring countries.
Prosecute v. to bring criminal action against The suspect was prosecuted yesterday.
someone (in a trial)
Provocative adj. intending to provoke, inspire, or Her nude paintings are considered
arouse quite provocative.

15
memorize repeat succeed

Qualitative adj. involving qualities of something I noticed a qualitative change in her

(features and content) paintings.
Quantitative adj. involving quantities (numbers We must conduct
and amounts) a quantitative analysis.
Quirk n. a strange habit His biggest quirk is his love of old
marbles.
Ramify v. to split into two or more branches Cars ramified throughout the world in
the twentieth century.
Rash adj. without attention to danger or Her rash decision to pass the car nearly
risk resulted in a crash.
Raw adj. unrefined He’s got raw talent as a singer, but he
needs to work on his performance skills.
adj. not processed; uncooked (as in In some countries, such as Japan, it is
food) normal to eat raw fish.
Readily adv. right away and without difficulty Water was readily available at different
points in the race.
Reconsideration n. thinking again about a previously The judges’ reconsideration of her
made choice performance resulted in her victory.
Reform n. a change for the better; The reform made it so that only those
improvement 18 and older can legally drive.
v. to improve via change The government reformed its vague
policies on marijuana use.
Refute v. to prove to be untrue, unfounded, The student refuted the professor’s
or incorrect claim in class.
Reinforce v. to strengthen or add support to We can use these pipes to reinforce the
structure.
Reluctantly adv. somewhat unwillingly Max reluctantly agreed to see the
horror movie with his friends.
Renounce v. to give up (usu. power or a Our CEO renounced her position
position) yesterday.
v. to cast off He renounced his friend after he caught
her stealing money from him.

16
memorize repeat succeed

Reproach v. to criticize The mother reproached her daughter’s

school for making students come in
during a blizzard.
Repudiate v. to refuse to recognize as true The father repudiated his son’s
marriage.
v. to cast off She repudiated her son once she found
out he’d married someone without
telling her.
Retention n. the act of keeping something Water retention can make you weigh
more on certain days.
Satiated adj. satisfied (usu. in hunger) I felt satiated after eating a snack.
Savvy adj. having practical intelligence or My brother is not very savvy when it
knowledge comes to using public transportation.
Scandalous adj. morally offensive, often causing The scandalous politician decided it
damage to one’s reputation was best to resign from office.
Scorn v. to look down on with disdain It’s difficult for me not to scorn those
who use improper grammar.
Scrupulous adj. paying great attention to detail I am a scrupulous proofreader and
never miss an error.
Scrutinize v. to examine carefully and critically The teacher scrutinized her students’
essays.
Secrete v. to produce or release (a substance) Trees secrete a sticky substance called
sap.
Sentiment n. opinion I am of the sentiment that you should
never give out your passwords to
anyone.
n. a tender or moving gesture Even though I’m not a big fan of
porcelain dolls, I appreciated
the sentiment.
Sheer adj. so thin that light can shine The curtains on the window were
through so sheer you could clearly see inside
the house.

17
memorize repeat succeed

Simple adj. easy; not complex This math problem is so simple even a
first grader can solve it.
adj. undecorated The simple beauty of the ocean is what
makes it memorable.
Sinister adj. ominous, evil Medieval peasants
believed sinister demons could harm
humans.
Solidarity n. the joining of commonalities or I stood in solidarity with other female
common purposes among a group students by refusing to wear the
school’s sexist uniform.
Sparingly adv. insufficiently, meagerly, or in a Due to my condition, I must eat
restricted manner salt sparingly.
Spawn v. to release eggs Frogs typically spawn in ponds.
v. to call forth or generate The topic spawned an ongoing debate
among his family members.
Spur v. to stimulate or incite Her bravery spurred others to act.
Squalid adj. run-down, sordid, or sleazy The squalid cabin needed a new roof
and an exterminator.
Stark adj. very plain; devoid of any details Looking out at the stark landscape, I
or features felt a keen sense of isolation.
Static adj. motionless The ball is static.
adj. changeless Her life has been static for the past
three years.
Subordinate adj. lower in rank The subordinate officers work every
day.
n. someone lower in rank My subordinate will check you in.
v. to make dependent on or put at a You aren’t my boss—you
lower rank can’t subordinate me to the role of
receptionist!
Subsequently adv. happening later or after I subsequently went home.
something

18
memorize repeat succeed

Substantial adj. very large in amount or degree I was shocked to find

a substantial amount of money beneath
the park bench.
Substantiate v. to strengthen with new evidence or It is important for scientists
facts to substantiate their theories whenever
possible.
Subtle adj. hard to detect or analyze I detected in her expression
a subtle hint of irritation.
Sufficient adj. enough; just meeting a These boxes should be sufficient for
requirement our move.
Surly adj. unfriendly; inclined to anger The bartender was a surly fellow who
wasn’t afraid to start a fight.
Surmount v. to get on top of or overcome They managed to surmount the
language barrier by using a translation
app.
Susceptible adj. to be vulnerable (to something) Children are more susceptible to certain
illnesses than adults are.
Tactful adj. skilled at dealing with people Her tactful attitude toward our class
made her one of my favorite teachers.
Taut adj. pulled tight The rubberband was taut and ready to
be fired.
Teeming adj. abundantly filled (usu. with Doorknobs are not as clean as they look
living organisms) and are often teeming with germs.
Temperament n. usual mood or feelings She had a
hostile temperament, making her
intimidating to most people.
Tentative adj. not yet finalized We haven’t made any official
arrangements yet, but
the tentative location for our wedding
is Hawaii.
Transparent adj. see-through; so thin that light Stained window glass isn’t
can shine through as transparent as regular window glass
is.

19
memorize repeat succeed

adj. truthful or easy to perceive She was transparent about her plans to
end her marriage.
Treacherous adj. dangerous and unstable The journey was
becoming treacherous, but they
continued on regardless.
Tremendous adj. very large, good, or bad in Tremendous news! You don’t have to
degree or size repay your loans!
Ubiquitous adj. being everywhere at once Cell phones are ubiquitous these days.
Unadorned adj. undecorated, plain Though the dress was cheap
and unadorned, it was by far her
favorite one on the rack.
Undermine v. to weaken or subvert (usu. Parents should take care not to
gradually or secretly) constantly undermine their children.
Underscore v. to emphasize or give additional This sentence seems to underscore the
weight to overall meaning of the passage.
Undulate v. to move as ripples or in a wavy Belly dancers are known for their
pattern ability to skillfully undulate their
stomachs.
Unilateral adj. one-sided The unilateral decision was deemed
unfair by the other party involved.
Unjust adj. unfair; not justified The court’s decision is unjust—he
should not go free.
Unmitigated adj. downright, utter, total My speech was
an unmitigated disaster!
Unprecedented adj. completely new and never The number of protestors
having happened before; historic was unprecedented.
Unveil v. to make visible; to reveal We plan to unveil our plans for the new
company project on Sunday.
Urge n. desire or impulse He had the urge to tell his parents about
his acceptance to Columbia but decided
against it.
v. to encourage or persuade She urged her sister to apply to
Stanford.

20
memorize repeat succeed

Validate v. to prove or declare valid Your selfish actions do

not validate your feelings for me.
Viability n. ability to be done in a practical or The viability of the solution is
useful way questionable.
Vital adj. urgently necessary It is vital that you respond by the
deadline.
Vow v. to promise My brother quickly broke his vow to
never eat chocolate again.
Warrant v. to prove to be reasonable Wanting to look cool in front of your
friends doesn’t warrant breaking the
law.
Yield n. production of an amount The farmer’s annual
pumpkin yield exceeded 10,000.
v. to give way to or surrender to Cars turning right on red must yield to
oncoming traffic.
v. to produce or supply Our experiment yielded many unique-
looking vegetables.

21